Spring clip connection for spring seat structures



Oct. 21, 1941. w. H. NEELY 2,260,190

SPRING CLIP CONNECTION FOR SPRING SEAT STRUCTURES Filed Dec. 22, 1938 INVENTOR. WILLIHM H- NEELY ATEO EY.

Patented Oct. 21, 194

SPRING CLIP CONNECTION SEAT STRUCTURE Neely, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor, by

William H.

r m SPRING direct and mesne assignments, to John 0. Lincoin, Scottsdale, Ariz.

Application December 22, 1938, Serial No. 247,234

Claims." (01. 155-179) This invention relates in general to spring seat structures embodying a plurality of specifically constructed fiat springs, each of which embodies a sinuously shaped seating portion and a rearwardly and downwardly extended front supporting arm. In these spring seat structures the springs. are arranged side by side crosswise of a frame, so that the seating portions of the springs form a continuous elevated seat above the frame and the thus formed elevated seat has its edge commonly reenforced by an edge wire attached to and supported by all the springs to prevent individual lateral movements of the springs and stiffen the edge of the seat so as to give said edge the desirable degree of rigidity against sagging.

In structures of this type it is desirable to interconnect the springs and the edge wire by means which properly support and couple the edge wire to the spring, will not open up or release their grip on the wire under adverse conditions and will permit individual movements of the wire in the connecting means without changing the axial relationship of such wire to the respective spring to which it is attached.

It is the primary object of thisinvention to provide a simple, economical and yieldingly acting connecting means which permits of sinuously shaped springs of the type referred to above being readily and easily coupled with an edge wire or similar element in a manner preventing undesirable release of the gripping means under all conditions and insuring continuous proper axial relation of the springs and the edge wire supported thereby.

Another object of the invention is to provide a yielding, substantially V-shaped connecting means for coupling springs of the type referred to above with an edge wire or similar element,

which connecting means engage the seating portions and the supporting arms of the springs and are provided with recessed seating and clamping means for yieldingly gripping an edge wire and holding same in proper relationship with respect to the seating portions of the springs.

A further object of the invention is to provide a yielding, substantially V-shaped connecting means for coupling a spring of the type referred to above with an edge wire or similar element, which connecting means is yieldingly held between the end coil of the seatingportion of the spring and its supporting arm and which is provided with supporting and clamping means for an edge wire and which yieldingly resists approach of the supporting arm toward the seating portion of the spring to increase the bulging stresses in the spring when attached to a frame and when under load.

In addition the invention has certain other marked superiorities which radically distinguish it from presently known structures. These improvements or superior characteristics embodying certain novel features of construction are clearly set forth in the appended claims; and a preferred form of embodiment of the invention is hereinafter shown with reference to the accompanying drawing forming part of the specification.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 shows a fragmentary plan view of a spring seat structure embodying fiat springs'of sinuous shape having integral front supporting arms and supporting at their front ends an edge wire by means of clip-like supporting structures embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the fragmentary structure shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged front view of a clip-like supporting structure attached to a spring of the type referred to.

Fig. 4 is a side view of the clip-like supporting structure shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is another side view of the structure shown in Fig. 3; and

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the clip-like supporting structure when not attached to a spring.

The structure of the invention has particular application to spring structures of the general character stated above and therefore is illustrated in connection with a fragmentarily shown spring seat structure 2 having a yielding front edge. Seat structure 2 embodies a frame -3 and a plurality of flat sinuously shaped springs 4 supported by said frame, which springs 4 are arranged crosswise of said frame and rigidly secured to its front and rear rails 5 and 6. Each spring 4, as shown, includes a sinuously shaped seating portion 1, a front supporting arm 8 extending rearwardly and downwardly from the front end of seating portion 1 and provided with forwardly extended hook-shaped attachment means 9 for rigidly connecting the supporting arm to the front rail 5, and rear supporting and attachment means I 0 rearwardly extending from the rear end of seating portion 1 and rigidly connected with rear rail 6. This described arrangement forms a seat structure, the seating surface ll of which is arranged substantially above frame 3. which seat structure has its individual springs 4 secured to consists of an upper portion l adapted to engage with the end coil I6 of seating portion 1 and'a lever portion I1 acute angularly related to upper portion I6. Upper portion l5 and lever portion II are integrally connected with each other by means of a curved portion l8, shaped to en age the straight end wire IQ of end coil l6 and recessed so as to form a seat 20 for edge wire l2.

. The free end 2| of upper portion I5 is channeled or recessed to form a seat 22 which engages and "interlocks with the other straight wire 23 of end coil I I6, when lever portion I1 is yieldingly held in engagement with the front supporting arm 8. This is effected by means of a lateral extension 24 on lever portion II, which extension is longitudinally recessed to form a, seat 25 which can readily be snapped into engagement with the front supporting arm 8. Raised, rib-like portions 26 and 21 in'upper portion [5 and lever portion I'I respectively efl'ect stiffening of said portion. In operation the above described clip-like supporting means [4 is slipped upon the edge wire i2 so that said wire rests in seat 20 and then the upper portion is slipped over straight end wire IQ of end coil IS in such a manner that the end of upper portion l5 slips under the other straight wire 23 of end coil l6 and finally rests its recessed seat 22 against straight wire 23. Now the lever portion I1 is yieldingly forced back and finally the clip-like supporting structure shifted laterally to align seat 25 with supporting arm 8, whereupon lever portion I1 is released and yieldingly forces seat 25 into engagement with leve'r arm 8.

The clip-like supporting structure l4, due to its inherent elasticity, will properly clamp and support the edge wire l2 while freely permitting torsion of straight end wire [9 when load is placed upon spring 4 and, in addition, tends to increase the bulging stresses on the end of spring 4 which are efiected by torsion of the end wire l9. This action of the clip-like supporting structure l4 which can readily and easily be controlled by the inherent elasticity from which structure I4 is made, is very desirable as it permits of the use of springs 4 made of steel wire of less cross section and thus permits of building of rather soft spring seat structures with rapidly increasing stiffening effect with increasing loads.

While there is illustrated and described only one particular'form of embodiment of the invention, it should be understood that the invention is not to be limited to this embodiment, as the same may be variously modified and altered without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a spring seat structure wire spring members arranged crosswise of a frame, each including a sinuously shaped seating portion and in- .clined supporting means for the front end of said seating portion, anedge wire at the front edges of the seating portions of said springs, and inbers arranged crosswise of a frame, each of said v of the springs and attaching said edge wire to said front edges, said yielding spring clips having integrally extended therefrom diverging arms engaged with said seating portions and their inclined supporting means. I

2. In a spring seat structure, wire spring members arranged crosswise of a frame, each including a sinuously shaped seating portion and rearwardly inclined supporting means for the front end of said seating portion, an edge wire at the front edges of the seating portions of said springs, and V-shaped yielding means for attaching said edge wire .to said seating portions,

each of said V-shaped members having in its central portion a recessed seat receiving the edge wire and arms extended from said seat coupled with a seating portion and its inclined supporting means.

3. In a spring seat struct re, wire spring mem- V a frame, each in- I bers arranged crosswise o cluding a sinuously shaped seating portion and rearwardly inclined supporting means for the front end of said seating portion, an edge wire at the front edges of the seating portions of said in claim 3, wherein one of said arms of said V-,.

shaped means has its groove crosswise and extended in properly spaced relation with respect to the recessed seat thereof to permit of said arm being rested upon the top of the front wire of the loop of a spring and engaged with the bottom of the rear wire of such front loop and wherein said other arm has a lateral extension thereon, the groove in said arm being in said lateral extension and arranged longitudinally of said arm to permit of engagement of such groove with the inclined supporting means of the spring above referred to.

5. In a spring seat structure wire spring memsprings including a sinuously shaped seating portion and inclined supporting means for said seating portion, an edge wire at the front edges of the seating portions of said springs, and V-shaped means for attaching said edge wire to said seating portions, each of said attaching means having in its central portion an oblong seat receiving the end wire of the seating portion of a spring and the said edge wire, and arms integrally extended from said oblong seat and coupled with the wire of a seating portion and the inclined supporting means for said portion, said attaching means having inherent elasticity and being forcibly interengaged with said seating portion and its inclined supporting means to effect initial resistance in said spring against change of the angular relationship between the seating portion and the inclined supporting means of said spring.

WILLIAM H. NEELY. 

